Chapter 1214: The Might of the Nameless Sword
"Nameless... Sword!"
"It's the Sword Lord's sword!"
From the viewing stands and every corner of the Eastern Divine Region, countless exclamations of shock rang out.
Yun Che's pupils contracted. The moment the Nameless Sword left its sheath, the unease he had felt earlier transformed directly into a deathly aura, and it was overwhelmingly potent. This sensation told Yun Che with crystal clarity that this sword could easily take his life.
Jun Xilei grasped the bronze-colored hilt with both hands. Even so, the hilt trembled violently, as if trying to break free. Yet above the hilt, no trace of a blade could be seen—only a void of emptiness. It seemed as if this "Nameless Sword" possessed nothing more than an empty hilt.
But the aura that had every nerve in his body taut to its limit told him the terror of this sword.
On the viewing stands, many experts rose to their feet. Some wore expressions of shock, while others furrowed their brows deeply. The Nameless Sword—only these experts standing at the pinnacle of the Divine Realm truly understood its power. And they knew even more clearly that this sword was beyond the control of someone at Jun Xilei's level. Forcing such control would lead to disastrous consequences.
"Le'er... stop! Stop!"
Jun Wuming was utterly horrified. Reason kept him from barging onto the Feng Shen Platform, but his entire aura showed clear signs of disturbance—because he knew better than anyone what would happen if Jun Xilei forcibly used the Nameless Sword in her current state.
The Nameless Sword was the sword of the Sword Lord, and it would only be passed down to Jun Xilei. The reason Jun Wuming had her carry the Nameless Sword on her back day and night was to help her align with it as soon as possible, so she could eventually wield it.
But that was at least after Jun Xilei had reached the Divine Sovereign Realm!
Forcing its use now at her current level... at best, it would severely damage her talent; at worst, it would cripple her, or even cost her life!
Jun Xilei, however, acted as if she hadn't heard. Her gaze was dark and resolute, her lips tightly pressed. Suddenly, a mist of blood burst from her mouth, spraying onto the Nameless Sword.
Instantly, the trembling and struggle of the Nameless Sword began to slow, until it stopped. Under the stain of blood mist, a translucent section of the blade flickered faintly, appearing and disappearing.
"..." Yun Che's brow sank deeply, and both hands clenched the Heaven-Defying Sword tightly. He could sense that what Jun Xilei had spat out was no ordinary blood mist—it was clearly essence blood!
"Le'er!" Jun Wuming was truly terrified. He had only one successor in Jun Xilei, and with his remaining lifespan dwindling, he was destined never to find another suitable heir. Jun Xilei was not only his sole disciple but also the sole successor of the Sword Lord lineage. If she perished here, it would mean the end of the Sword Lord's bloodline!
"Is she... is she crazy?" Shui Yinghen exclaimed in shock. As the son of the Glazed Light Realm King, he naturally knew what the Nameless Sword represented. To force it out of its sheath and then unhesitatingly offer essence blood—how much hatred and madness would it take to do such a thing?
"...It seems that for her, dignity outweighs life itself, and even her own swordsmanship talent." Shui Yingyue took a slight breath, her eyes complex and unreadable. She had met Jun Xilei a few times and could tell she was an extremely aloof person, but she never expected her to be so resolute.
Perhaps the fact that she had already reached such a level of swordsmanship at her young age was also closely related to her temperament.
Just then, an unexpected change occurred.
Jun Wuming suddenly swooped down like an eagle, charging straight for the Feng Shen Platform.
Quhui Zunzhe had been carefully monitoring Jun Wuming's aura all along, but subconsciously, he didn't think Jun Wuming would intervene. After all, he was the Sword Lord—the person of highest seniority in the entire Eastern Divine Region. His experience was as vast as the boundless sky, and his temperament as steady as a towering mountain... Moreover, he was the one who had witnessed the most editions of the Xuan Shen Tournament and knew best how serious it was to interfere in the Feng Shen Battle.
But he had still made a move.
Quhui Zunzhe instantly moved as well, blocking Jun Wuming's path. Facing a figure like Jun Wuming, his demeanor naturally couldn't be too forceful, so he said in a slow voice, "Senior Sword Lord, no matter what happens on the Feng Shen Platform, as long as it is not a malicious violation of the rules, no one is allowed to interfere."
"I will forfeit this match on behalf of my unworthy disciple. Let me take her away!" Jun Wuming said in a deep voice.
"Only they themselves can forfeit!" Quhui Zunzhe said sternly.
Jun Xilei's essence blood spread over the Nameless Sword, and the sword's might expanded, but Jun Wuming's heart sank rapidly. He narrowed his eyes and suddenly struck out, sending a wave of energy sweeping forward.
The Sword Lord's attack was no trivial matter. Above the Feng Shen Platform area, it was as if an apocalyptic storm had descended out of nowhere, shaking the air and displacing clouds in an instant. In the aftermath, a large number of profound practitioners from the viewing stands were sent flying far away in agony, as if struck by ten thousand mountains.
The isolation barrier around the Feng Shen Platform also sank deeply and nearly shattered.
Although Quhui Zunzhe was powerful, he was no match for the Sword Lord and was blasted far away in an instant. Just as Jun Wuming was about to rush toward Jun Xilei, a long sigh reached his ears.
"Alas."
In an instant, the storm subsided. Everything returned to calm, as if the earlier catastrophic surge of energy had been nothing but an illusion. Before Jun Wuming stood an old man in gray robes with a flowing black beard and eyes as clear as pure water. He simply stood in front of Jun Wuming, yet it felt as though a towering mountain had been placed in his path, making it impossible for him to advance even an inch.
Zhou Tian Shen Di!
"Sword Lord, this old man fully understands the urgency in your heart. But this is the Feng Shen Battle. You must understand that no one has ever been allowed to defile the Feng Shen Battle." Zhou Tian Shen Di said slowly.
He did indeed fully understand Jun Wuming's impulsive action. If he were in Jun Wuming's place, he might have done the same. But this was the Zhou Tian God Realm, and this was the Feng Shen Battle.
"Do not block me!" Jun Wuming's face darkened, and sword energy stirred restlessly around his entire body. "I have only this one disciple, and the Sword Lord has only this one successor! Once I take her away... in the future, I will naturally give the Zhou Tian Realm an explanation!"
"This is her choice." Zhou Tian Shen Di sighed. "And she must bear the consequences herself! I allow you to speak words of dissuasion—but you absolutely must not interfere by force! Otherwise, it may greatly damage the reputation of your Sword Lord lineage. Alas."
"Mas... ter..."
Just as Jun Wuming was about to speak, Jun Xilei's voice came from below.
Her voice was filled with pain, as if every word required all her willpower: "Dis... ci... ple... is... un... fil... ial..."
"But... if Master... forcefully stops me..."
"Disciple... will... surely... hate you... for life..."
Yun Che: "..."
The words of absolute determination left everyone stunned. Jun Wuming stood frozen in place, his gaze trembling.
"Le'er... you... you..."
In that moment, he suddenly realized that he had perhaps never truly understood the disciple to whom he had devoted all his effort and hope.
"..." Yun Che frowned deeply, his nerves tense. He mobilized every bit of profound energy within him to its fullest... This is insane! She's utterly insane!
Jun Xilei slowly raised both arms. A sword might descended as if from the heavens, pressing down and locking onto every trace of Yun Che's aura. Even by offering her essence blood, Jun Xilei could only unleash less than a thousandth of the Nameless Sword's true might.
But the Nameless Sword was the sword of the Sword Lord. Even a fraction of its divine might was far beyond what Yun Che could withstand at his level.
Jun Xilei forcibly aligned her primal energy with the sword's energy. Under the sword's aura, her injuries were also forcefully suppressed. Although her internal injuries were severe, she had not consumed much of her profound energy. In her current state, if she gave everything, she could unleash three strikes.
Three strikes... enough to kill Yun Che three times over!
The chaotic sword energy around Jun Wuming slowly dissipated. His old eyes grew hazy, and he felt an unprecedented sense of powerlessness.
Watching helplessly as Jun Xilei raised the Nameless Sword, and seeing that Jun Wuming had clearly given up on forcefully stopping her, Mu Bingyun could no longer remain calm. She stood up and urgently shouted, "Yun Che, that is the Sword Lord's sword! It is absolutely impossible for you to withstand it! You..."
Jun Xilei's voice was resolute to the extreme, making it clear that there was no turning back. She wanted Yun Che to leave the Feng Shen Platform immediately... but she knew Yun Che's temperament. Making him flee in panic or admit defeat was simply impossible.
Even if he knew his life was in danger.
In that respect, he and Jun Xilei were actually quite alike.
Unsurprisingly, in response to Mu Bingyun's warning, Yun Che simply held the Heaven-Defying Sword in front of him. Golden flames blazed furiously around his body, and the shadow of the Golden Crow Flame descended from the sky, floating before Yun Che.
He was clearly going to confront the might of the Nameless Sword head-on, without the slightest sign of retreat.
"Yun Che!" Mu Bingyun shouted again, but could say nothing more.
If Yun Che insisted on this, no one could stop him—just as no one could stop Jun Xilei at this moment.
"He's going to... forcibly withstand the Nameless Sword?" Shui Yinghen exclaimed in shock.
"Yun Che comes from the lower realms and arrived in the Divine Realm not long ago. He probably doesn't know how terrifying the Nameless Sword is. If he forces this... he might die." Shui Yingyue said quietly. She glanced at Shui Meiyin and saw that her face was deathly pale, her legs pressed tightly together, and her small hands gripping the hem of her dress.
She had never seen Shui Meiyin so tense.
"Hmph, even if he knew, he probably wouldn't flee. This kid has a deep pride in his bones. He even dared to use such vicious methods to take revenge on Luo Chang'an in public. When you think about it, he's quite a match for this little girl Jun Xilei." Shui Qianheng furrowed his brow slightly, a hint of worry flashing deep in his pupils.
Shui Yingyue: "..."
The Feng Shen Platform was dead silent. All auras were drawn irresistibly toward the Nameless Sword, as if by an unstoppable force.
At that moment, a faint shift in energy stirred. In everyone's constricted pupils, the Nameless Sword slashed downward.
"Yun Che!"
"Brother Yun!"
Shouts overlapped from the Yin Xue Realm and Yan Shen Realm seats, but they could not reach Yun Che's ears. Because the moment the Nameless Sword descended, everything on the Feng Shen Platform was completely engulfed by the sword's might...
Jun Xilei could never truly wield the Nameless Sword. Even paying every price, the most she could unleash was the most basic sword light.
But that was the sword light of the Nameless Sword!
Though it was merely an invisible sword light, Yun Che felt as if a bottomless abyss was pressing down upon him. Beneath that abyss, his own strength and impending struggle seemed pathetically insignificant.
He gritted his teeth and retreated swiftly. The Golden Crow Flame Shadow let out an angry cry, sweeping up a blaze of golden flames that surged straight toward the Nameless Sword light.
Boom!!
The muffled roar lasted only the briefest of moments. The golden flames, not yet fully erupted, were extinguished completely, as if wiped from existence. At that same instant, the Nameless Sword light struck the Golden Crow Flame Shadow...
In an instant, the Golden Crow Flame Shadow was pierced through. With a shriek, it scattered in midair, fragments of flame flying in all directions.
At that moment, Yun Che, still retreating, had gathered all his profound energy. He halted his movement and then, engulfed in golden flames blazing like a sun, he charged head-on toward the terrifying Nameless Sword light amidst countless screams that nearly tore throats.
"Annihilation of Heaven and Earth!"
"No!!!" Shui Meiyin's face drained of color, and she let out a bloody, heart-wrenching cry... but she could only watch helplessly as Yun Che, completely enveloped in golden flames, collided with the Nameless Sword light.
Boom!!
The muffled roar echoed through every corner of the Zhou Tian Realm. The Feng Shen Platform shattered wildly, a crack tearing across it in an instant, reaching the very edge.
The exploding golden flames surged toward the heavens, but faded at an astonishing speed. Amid the rapidly dying flames, the Heaven-Defying Sword flew far away, and a figure was sent spinning through the air like a broken blood pouch, scattering a torrent of blood rain.
After landing, it dragged a long, crimson trail of blood across the Feng Shen Platform.
"Yun Che!"
In the Yin Xue Realm seats, every face turned deathly pale in an instant, their expressions filled with shock and horror.
Jun Xilei knelt on one knee, coughing up a mouthful of bloody foam. The sleeves of both arms were completely soaked in blood. This strike had undoubtedly aggravated her injuries, but she felt no pain... nor did she feel the satisfaction she had expected.
She raised her head and looked ahead. In the distance of her vision, a figure completely drenched in blood slowly stood up.
On Yun Che's body, a horrifying blood mark ran from his left shoulder down to his right ribs. Several streams of blood sprayed out like fountains...
But they had not managed to cut through his body.
Yun Che's face was twisted in pain. With great difficulty, he raised his numb right arm and pressed it against the bloody gash in front of him. A faint blue light flickered as Ice God energy condensed, forcibly freezing the wound shut.
He knew clearly that the Dragon God's Marrow had saved his life once again.
Otherwise, his body would have been cleaved in two by that Nameless Sword light—without a doubt!
Jun Xilei's gaze was cold and vacant. Everyone on the viewing stands sat with wide eyes and gaping mouths, unable to recover for a long time... They were not shocked by the power of the Nameless Sword light, but rather...
Yun Che had actually taken it... and taken it head-on!